Up to the Mountain
by Theinsanefangirl
Summary: Arra and Larten's adventure to Vampire Mountain; lots of fluff and arguing :3  Thanks to icondragongirlart on deviantart for giving me this idea. Rated T for language
1. Chapter 1

Up to the Mountain

The trek to Vampire Mountain was exhausting. Larten Crepsley was attending his second trial and Arra Sails was traveling with him. She, being competitive as usual, brought up the idea of a race. She wanted to race so bad that she completely ignored his refusal and began running up the trail, laughing loudly as she did so. When she noticed he was not running with her, but merely walking with a calm look on his face, she growled, and ran back to him. Taking his hand, she complained at how boring he was.  
"Come on, Larten!" She cried. "First one up there is crowned the winner, and the loser has to drink two gallons of bat broth!" Crepsley felt his stomach churn; he hated bat broth and the mere mention of it made him feel queasy, but he was going to stick by his decision of not racing.

"Arra, I have no need to play around," he told her in a collected voice. "I do not want to be twice as tired when we do get up there. So, please…." He wrenched his hand out of her grasp, blushing slightly at their skin contact, though he made sure she could not see the pink on his cheeks, and walked farther in front of her. She crossed her arms, and walked slower behind him, feeling no need to run anymore. "So, you are not going to run?" He asked.

"No," she muttered. "It's no fun if it's just me. It's not a race anymore; it's just a run."

"I bet you cannot wait to get up to the bars, huh?" She smiled at the thought of beating everyone who faced her on the bars once again.  
"It's been twelve years. I can't wait to beat Kurda!"  
"You have deep hatred for him, do you not?" Crepsley chuckled.

"It's not that I hate him, he's just too annoying, and I don't respect him. He doesn't deserve my handshake." Crepsley smiled at the thought of the time he was thrown off the bars against her; she ended up shaking his hand anyway. He could never forget the day they spoke first to each other. True, it was not a peaceful or pleasant memory as she snapped at him over his gentlemanly persona by offering her an umbrella, but sooner or later, he began to fall for her. He blushed at the memory of their first kiss underneath the rain. "Are you okay?" Arra asked, pushing him out his thoughts. "You're turning red."

"I am fine!" He said quickly. "Just fine."  
"Good. You dumbass," she said, smiling.  
"What the hell? Why am I the dumbass?"  
"You just are," she giggled, kissing his cheek, causing his blush to deepen.

As they reached higher up the mountain, they came across a cave where many coffins were set up; however, only one was useable. The rest were destroyed. The snow fell from the skies up above as they made their way to the cave. Arra reached out, grabbing a snowflake in her hand. The snow caressed her cheeks, and she let out a sigh of ecstasy; she danced elegantly in the snow falling around her, feeling completely at ease. Crepsley noticed that as she danced around the snow, it made her that much more beautiful. She caught him staring at her, and stopped dead in her tracks.

"What?" She asked, turning a bit red.

"Nothing." He laughed. "You just look so cute."

"Shut up," she spat.

"It's a compliment." She scoffed, walking past him into the cave, and realizing that only one coffin could work.  
"There's only one," she said. He ran up to her, blushing.

"W-what? One?"

"Can't you count, stupid?" She asked, pointing to the coffin. "There is only one!" Crepsley tried to speak, but no words came out of his mouth. "That means we have to share one."

"No," he said almost immediately. "There is no way we are sharing a coffin. It was fine when it was with Gavner, but…" He stopped.

"What, are you gay?" She asked, with a smirk.

"NO!" He yelled. "What the hell is wrong with you?"  
"Nothing; you're the one with something wrong. Get some help, Larten."

"…. Shut up." He growled, stomping into the cave, and sitting on the cold ground, crossing his arms.

"You're not getting in?" Arra asked, getting into the coffin as the sun began to rise. Crepsley shook his head, keeping his eyes on the rising sun. "You're going to burn."  
"There are worse things," he told her. After the sun began to rise, and his eyes started to hurt, he decided that there wasn't anything worse than getting burned to a crisp, so he got into the coffin next to her, trembling as he did so. She felt him as he shakily put his arm around her waist to make room. Blushing, he closed his eyes and sighed, realizing that she was just as warm as he thought she would be. "I love you," he whispered so softly that only he heard it. Though, after he said it, he kept telling himself that it wasn't true.

There were times in the day when Arra would begin shaking violently. She whimpered and whispered, "Please, don't get me." He tightened his grip on her and held her close until her shaking subsided. Even then, he didn't stop holding her. After a while of crying, she relaxed and slept silently through the day without any more nightmares.

Though she did not know he was the one who saved her from the demons, he knew; and he was happy he was able to help.

Crepsley kept himself distanced from Arra as they walked higher. He was nervous for no reason at all, or so he thought. The thought that was going through his head was that she was well built and how easily his arm was able to wrap around her waist. A chill ran down his spine as he thought of it.

"You alright, there?" Arra asked, closing the distance between them. "You seem a little distracted." His eyes glanced down at her hips, where her hands were. He gulped, blushed, and turned his head away.

"Everything is fine," he told her, keeping his eyes on an English Rose that was growing healthily despite the snow falling around it. His fingers twitched. Crepsley waited until Arra was no longer interested in his wellbeing and continued walking forward before he took the flower by the stem and picked it. Its orange color was radiant, and he quickly hid it underneath its cloak so it will not freeze and die.

"Hurry up, you snail!" She yelled, causing him to run a bit faster to reach her.

"Shut up, idiot," he said, making sure the rose was securely in place.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

As they reached higher, Arra and Crepsley realized that the snow was falling harder than it had been a few nights ago. Crepsley sighed, hating the trail to get up there. They weren't allowed to flit causing the trip to be super long. And they weren't allowed to wear shoes; what was up with that? His feet were starting to get sore and cold from all the walking, and he really wanted to take a break, if only for a couple of minutes. However, he knew he had no time to waste; the councils were more important than his sore feet. As he tried to forget the pain as he walked, he heard a gasp. He turned around to see Arra sitting on a rock, rubbing her feet.

"Damn it," she growled. "What kind of dumbass rule is this? No shoes? Idiots!"

"Yeah, it is pretty stupid," he agreed. "You know, we really have to get going." He didn't want to rush her, but they really had no time at all to waste.

"Sorry," she said. He blinked, confused; he expected her to lash out at him. Maybe the coldness was getting to her head. "I just wanted to take a little break; would that be possible at all?" He shook his head.

"There is one other solution," he said, coughing uncomfortably into his fist. She looked at him, raising her eyebrows. "I could always carry you for a little bit." He flinched, half expecting her to punch him in the face or throw him off the mountain. She thought about it for a moment, then smiled tenderly and nodded.  
"I suppose it is the only way. Alright, let's go." Crepsley bent down and she climbed onto his back. He held onto her legs and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He wasn't used to this kind of closeness, and he almost dropped her. He regained his composure, blushing slightly as he felt her breath on his neck. He took in a deep breath and began to walk forward as Arra gently fell asleep, with her head balancing on his shoulder. Then they heard a giggling from behind a rock.

"What the hell is that?" Arra asked, waking up in an instant; well, that didn't take long at all. Crepsley approached the 'giggling' rock and looked over it.

"Gavner!" He yelled. His friend was laughing his heart out on the snow.

"You guys are so cute!" Gavner laughed, jumping onto his feet. "Oh, I can't stand the cuteness!"

"Get out of here," Crepsley said, making sure he had at least one hand securing Arra in case he needed to punch Gavner in the face.

"Wah, don't be so mean!"

"I think I have every right to be mean to you."

Arra sighed, resting her head again on Crepsley's shoulder, unsure whether or not she should throw Gavner off the mountain trail and into certain death. She decided she was too tired to do anything. She looked up to the sky, and noticed a full moon.

"It's beautiful," she commented. Gavner and Crepsley were too busy glaring at each other to notice.

"What? What?" Gavner asked. "What's so beautiful?" Arra pointed to the moon. "Oh, yeah, it's very beautiful. Okay, who cares? Let's go. We have a lot of land to cover in a short period of time."

"Let us go," Crepsley said, walking forward. Arra sighed sadly. "What is wrong?"  
"You guys don't care about how beautiful the moon is," she complained, staring up at the glimmering orb in the sky.

"Of course I do," he assured her. "It is just that it is nothing compared to your beauty." She blushed. And so did he! Since when did he become so forward? "Uh… I mean... I apologize," he said quickly.

"Don't be sorry," she said. "Thank you." He smiled, grabbing her hand and kissing her scarred fingertips.

A few hours later, they reached another cave, again with one coffin. The look on Arra's face said that she would rather die than share a coffin with Gavner. He shuddered at her glare.

"Who wants the coffin?" Crepsley asked.

"I do!" Gavner yelled. "I get dibs!"

"Wait…" Arra started to protest.

"No, no, Arra! I get dibs, which means I get the coffin!" Arra scoffed, crossing her arms. "I get cold easily. I need the coffin," she said, stomping her foot in frustration.

"Don't worry. Larten will keep you warm." He giggled. Arra ignored Gavner, and her eyes were attracted to a family of rabbits, eyeing them curiously. She gasped and let out a little squeal. Soon after, she blushed crimson red at her girlyness." Crepsley felt his heart leap in his chest at her cuteness. She approached the family of rabbits, and reached her hand out, telling them she was not to be feared. The youngest of rabbits sniffed her hand and gently licked her fingertips. She blushed.

"So cute," she said, stroking the rabbit.

"Good," Gavner said. "We have dinner." Arra saw that Gavner had a knife in his hand, while having a smile on his face.

"You are not killing these rabbits!" She snapped.

"Arra, we need to eat."

"You can eat something else!"

"Larten, tell her we need to eat!"  
"Larten, tell him not to kill them!"

Crepsley found himself in the middle of his best friend and the girl he had feelings for. He cleared his throat and said, "I am Switzerland in this." Arra smiled slyly, approached Crepsley, and pressed her body close to his. He felt his body tense up at their touch, and he tried to speak, but nothing came out.  
"Come on, Larten," she said with a smile. "You can help me, can't you?"

"That is not fair!" Gavner screamed, pointing a finger at him. "You bastard!"

"W-what?" Crepsley choked, rubbing the back of his head turning red. "Ah, Gavner, just find something else to eat."

Gavner gasped, looking over at Arra, who stuck her tongue out. He glanced over at the rabbits, with the knife still in his hand; they trembled at the sight. He sighed in defeat, putting his knife back into his pocket. He went outside in the snow, and came back with a deer carcass slung over his back.

"Here," Gavner snapped, throwing the carcass onto the ground. "Eat it."

"That's not any better," Arra said.

"Since when are you a vegan?"

"I'm not; I just don't feel like killing today." Crepsley sat down next to Arra, trying to avoid confrontation. He watched as Gavner cut into the carcass and started a fire to cook it on. A few moments on the fire and it was done. He handed portions to everyone. Arra took it hesitantly, but she was really hungry, so she did not protest. She put it in her mouth, and smiled; it was really good.

While they ate, the rabbits ran off. The youngest first licked Arra's hand before joining the rest of his family.

"They are so cute," she said once they were all of sight.

"Yeah," Gavner grumbled, stuffing a piece of deer into his mouth. "This is so dry; rabbit would have tasted better!"  
"Well, tough! Those rabbits were cute!" Arra yawned stretching her arms in front of her. She got up, brushing off her pants. "Well, I'm tired."  
"Already?" Crepsley asked, finishing off his share of the dinner.

"Yeah; we've been walking so long. My feet are still sore." She knelt down next to Crepsley. "Thank you for carrying me. I never knew your shoulder was so comfortable."  
"Yes, well…" He stuttered. "You are quite welcome." Arra smiled, heading for the coffin before Gavner grabbed her by the wrist.

"What the…?" She yelled as she felt herself being pulled back. "Gavner, what is the matter with you?"  
"I got dibs on the coffin," he pointed out. "That means I get it." He pointed to a corner of the cave. "You can sleep there."  
"Oh, come on, you jerk!" Gavner ignored her, made his way toward the coffin, and got in with a smug look on his face. Crepsley face palmed; he knew the fireworks were coming. To his surprise, they did not go off. Instead of arguing with Gavner, Arra, crossing her arms, sat in the corner, and wrapped her arms around her knees in order to keep her body warm. Crepsley glanced over at Gavner who was gesturing with his arms that he should go and sit with her. Taking off his cloak and bundling it into his arms, he got up and sat next to her. Without any warning, Arra let out the cutest little sneeze. Crepsley thought nothing of it until she sneezed around three or four more times. He unbundled his red cloak and draped it across her shoulders.  
"What's this for?" She asked. Oh, that was bad idea. "Do you think I'm so weak that I can't take a little cold, Larten?"

"What… Oh… It is our first meeting all over again!" He sighed. "I am sorry if I offended you, Arra, but you started sneezing, and I feared you might be sick… and I panicked! Alright? I did not think about your feminist attitude. So, forgive me, please?" Arra looked at the crushed velvet red cloak that was on her shoulders. The velvet was so soft; it was very comfortable and warm. She smiled, resting her head on his shoulders. She gently stroked his hand until he intertwined their fingers together. Arra fell fast asleep, feeling completely safe with Crepsley by her side.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The next night after Gavner was gone. He left a note on the coffin saying he went farther up ahead. Arra sighed in relief.

"Thank the gods that idiot is gone!" She cheered. "He annoys me to no end."

"He annoys me as well," Crepsley replied. "However, I still think of him as my friend. Strange, is it not?"

"Hmm, no it's not," she told him. "You've known him for a long time, so I don't blame you if you're still his friend. It's easy for one to deal with his friends annoyances. I'm not his friend, so…" She didn't finish her sentence, and shrugged her shoulders.

"Yeah, right," he muttered. "I know you like him."  
"What is that's supposed to mean?" She growled, advancing on Crepsley like a cheetah ready to pounce on its prey. He shrank back against a tree, mentally cursing himself at his lack of thinking before he spoke.  
"That is not what I meant," he told her in a voice that he hoped would calm her down. "I only meant you like him as a friend. I know Gavner is your friend… You are worse than Evanna."

"I know I can give you a deeper scar," she threatened, flexing her fingers. He backed against a tree, holding his hands up as to defend himself. She smiled, giving him a wink, and starting off on the trail again. It took him a while to find himself. Once he did, he shrugged and followed her, thinking how extraordinarily beautiful she looked just now.

"I wonder how long it will take to find another cave," Arra mused.

"It will not be for a little while," Crepsley replied. "These caves are not so close together. We can stop for small rests, and we will have to hide under the shades of trees in order to stay protected from the sun."

"I hate that. I remember when I was younger; it was so much fun to run in the sun with my siblings and friends. Now, I have to cower from it. It's so frustrating."

"I agree. Life would be so much easier if we were able to move freely during the day. However, it would give vampire hunters more opportunities to kill us."

"True," she said, nodding. "Well, let's not waste any more time." She speeded up, and he followed, wondering what goes through that head of hers.

Crepsley and Arra kept on the trail every night, sleeping under a tree for protection from the deadly rays during the sun. When they finally came across another cave two nights later, Arra instantly went for it. Some vampires choose to just keep going, but she was tired, and he couldn't blame her. Despite being one of the toughest vampires out there, regardless of gender, she was not invulnerable. This one now had two coffins, which made Crepsley feel relieved. He couldn't bear the thought of sharing a coffin with her again, though he wasn't complaining or anything. Somehow, he felt very secure with his arms around her. They made a small fire in the middle of the cave, and ate some food they kept in a small bag that Arra had been carrying. The food was not so satisfying, but it would do.

Popping a raisin into her mouth- Arra's favorite human snack was raisins- she said, "So, we take off tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Crepsley replied, throwing a napkin into the fire and watching it burn; he always was a little bit of a pyromaniac. "So, get some rest now or else you will be exhausted by the time we leave tomorrow night."

"Sure." She threw the empty box in the fire along with whatever else he was burning at the time; the cardboard took a little longer to burn, but it burned nonetheless. "Make sure you put that out before you go to sleep, alright?" He nodded. With dawn not far away, Arra slipped into the coffin and fell asleep. Crepsley sighed, pouring water onto the flames with the canteen he had. He got into his own coffin and fell asleep as well, wondering about how far much farther they would have to travel, and his feelings for her.

When Crepsley got up the next night, having slept soundly throughout the day, he rubbed the scar on the left side of his face, and approached Arra's coffin. He knocked on it, with a yawn. Nothing. He knocked again. This time he heard her groan. He sighed, opening it. She was asleep, clutching at the fabric of her white dress.

"Arra," Crepsley said, poking her gently.

"Go away," she mumbled.

"It is night now. We have to get moving."

"No. Go away or I'll hit you." He knew that she wasn't kidding, but he kept poking her. She groaned.

"Wake up," he said.

"No." He groaned in frustration; her stubbornness didn't change at all. He poked her cheek, and quickly retreated his finger. He brought his hands to her face and felt her cheeks and forehead.

"Damn it," he muttered. "You have a fever."  
"Heh," she chuckled. "I thought vampires don't get sick."

"It is rare, but you have been traveling for so long."  
"Then why aren't you sick?"  
"I am not sure. I will be right back." She did not question where he was going; she knew he wouldn't leave her in a time like this. He went outside, searching for herbs. He studied them, and realized that they were safe enough for her to use. He filled up the canteens with water, and returned. Making another fire, he boiled water and put the herbs in. He tapped her shoulder to get her attention. "Here you go."

"What is it?" She asked.

"Tea. Made with some herbs I found outside," he replied.

"Are you sure they're safe?"

"Arra, please, I was under Seba for the longest time; I am sure he taught me a thing or two about herbs."

"Alright, alright," she laughed. "Help me sit up." He propped his hand against her back and sat her up. He handed her the cup of tea. "Thank you." She sipped it down, and began to cough; his eyes widened with worry. "It's nothing," Arra assured him, with a smile. "I just drank it down too fast, and it's a little hot."

"Oh, good." He gave out a sigh of relief. "Do you need anything else? Food, or something?" She shook head, smiling. "Are you sure? I can get you someth-"

"Larten," she yelled. "I am fine. I just think I need some rest."

"Oh, yes, of course." He fell silent, kneeling by her coffin.

"Are you going to sleep in the coffin?" She pointed to the other coffin in the cave.

"No."

"Seriously? The first time we find two coffins, you sleep in it once, and now you don't want to?"

"I would rather be right here, by your side," he admitted.

"Oh." She smiled softly. "Thank you."  
"No need to thank me." He blushed slightly. He found her hand and held it while she slept soundly.

The next time he checked on her, he realized that her fever did not get any better.

"You are still sick!" He yelled.

"Really?" She asked sarcastically.

"Well, I would figure it would have gotten better by now."  
"Well, it didn't. So tough."  
"Do you need anything?" He asked, sighing.

"I'm thirsty," she replied.

"Oh, you want some more tea?" He pointed to the tea kettle he left over the fire, which burned out.

"No, Larten," she said, shaking her head. "I'm _thirsty._"

"Ohh, I understand now." He dug in cloak pocket, revealing a small vial of blood. He knew she was too weak to sit up, so he poured it into her mouth. However, she began coughing and sputtering.

"I'm sorry," she said sheepishly.

"It is alright," he told her, wiping the blood off her mouth, thanking the gods that it was not hers. "There must be some other way." He turned a deep shade of red as he came up with an idea how to help her. "Open your mouth." She opened her mouth. "Forgive me for this, Arra." He put a little blood in his mouth, brought his mouth to hers, and transferred it. He did two more times. "I apologize for that. There must have been other ways, but I could not think of any."  
"No," she said, licking her lips. "That was fine. I had forgotten how good of a kisser you are, Larten." He turned red.

"Well, yes, I hope you get better then." Crepsley pushed a lock of hair out of her sweat drenched face.

"I feel so weak," Arra told him, putting her hands into fists. "I am not showing that I am a strong female."

"You are not weak. This has nothing to do with gender, Arra. Everyone gets sick sometime."  
"I suppose." He smiled, wiping some sweat from her brow, and kneeling down to pick up the tea kettle. He thought of his tingling lips as he did so, and so did she.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Crepsley was pleased when Arra was feeling a lot better the next night. All she needed was a little bit of rest, and she was good as new. And that wasn't really a good thing because now she was hyper and wanted to begin their race again as they neared the mountain.  
As the mountain came into view, Arra said, "Let's race, Larten!"

"Ugh, you still want to do that?" He asked, feeling tired; he was up all day nursing her back to health. "I am really tired right now."  
"What? Why?"

"I was just busy all day." Her eyes narrowed.

"I never asked for you to take care of me, you know!" She yelled. "You did that all on your own!"

"I know that! I am not blaming you, Arra," he said, rubbing his eyelids. "Never mind."

"But," her voice softened. "I am grateful, Larten. If not for you, I'd probably never get better." His heart fluttered at the gentility of her voice. He cleared his throat, and smiled.

"I am glad I was able to help."

"Fine; we don't have to race," she told him. "If you don't want to."

"Thank you. I would rather save my energy until we get up to the mountain and sleep the whole day without any complications."  
"If we get there before dawn, I want to whack some people."

"Arra, you may have to wait a little longer in order to do that. We still have a lot of ground to cover, though we are extremely close."

"Alright." She sighed. "You're right; we won't get up there by dawn!" She kicked a rock at her feet in order to keep herself occupied. She growled when it was kicked into a hole. She ran to retrieve it, but felt something cold nuzzle against her face as she knelt down. She looked up to see a wolf cub, panting slightly at her. She smiled, picking him up and running to Crepsley. "Look, Larten!" She said giddily. "It's a wolf cub!"

"Oh, so it is," Crepsley said, observing the young pup. "I wonder if there are any more around here?"  
"Probably; I don't think he's gotten that far from his pack." Arra looked around for other wolves to appear, but none did. "We can't leave him, Larten."  
"What are we supposed to do then?"  
"Can't we take him for a little bit until we run into another wolf?"  
"Arra… what if we do not?"  
"Then…" She looked down at the cub in arms, who was yapping excitedly. "I don't know… Come on, Larten, please!" Crepsley thought about it and realized that if he didn't give in, she would be all flirty again like she was with the rabbits. Not wanting to experience that again, even though he secretly enjoyed the closeness between them, he agreed. She giggled, clutching the dog, which licked her face. Crepsley smiled at her affection towards animals. He approached it, and patted its head. It licked his fingers. "See?" Arra said. "He likes you! He needs a name!"  
"A name? He is not a dog, Arra," he told her.

"So? He needs a name! Oh, look." She pointed to a streak on the wolf. "Let's call him Streak!"

"Streak? It's a cute name."

"Good!" Arra smiled. "Let's go, Streak!" The cub yapped and seemed eager to travel with them.

On the way up there, Streak bolted out Arra's arm so fast that she almost fell to the ground if Crepsley didn't catch her shoulders.  
"You alright?" He asked her.

"Yeah, but what's with Streak?" She asked, looking for the cub, who bolted out of nowhere.

"I see him over there." Crepsley pointed at Streak, who was growling and baring his teeth menacingly. "What is he growling at?"  
"I'm not sure," Arra replied, walking towards him. Streak paid no attention her as she called his name, and continued to growl. Arra looked up and screamed.

"What is it?" Crepsley ran to her and saw why she screamed. A giant grizzly bear was hovering over them with a ravenous look in its eyes, drool dripping from its mouth. It growled, and advanced on them, ready to attack and kill them. Crepsley growled and flexed his fingers. Arra got up and was ready to fight as well. The bear roared, attempting to pounce on them. They were too fast for him. Crepsley managed to strike the bear's head with his long nails, drawing blood. Arra was about to attack, but Crepsley intervened.

"What the hell, Larten?" She yelled.

"I do not need you to fight! I can handle this!" He told her.

"What?"

"Just go, please!"

"Why, you son of a…" She began to say, but he cut her off.

"Arra, go, now!" He yelled, facing the bear by himself. He drowned out her yells at him and focused on attacking the bear. The bear growled when it was hit once more. It managed to slice Crepsley on his neck, resulting in yet another scar. Crepsley attacked and attacked until the bear was almost out of energy. However, he was almost out of energy as well. Panting heavily, he clutched his side which was bleeding heavily. He closed his eyes, coughing up blood onto the snowy ground. He wiped the blood off his lips and paid no further attention to it. He unsheathed his knife and advanced to the bear, which seemed to have overcome its lack of energy much to Crepsley's dismay. Crepsley's body was worn out, and he couldn't approach the bear without falling onto the ground, panting. The bear took this as an advantage and was getting to ready to pounce and smash the orange-haired vampire. As it was getting ready, Arra sprung into action, unsheathing the sword Vanez had given her and cut down the fierce grizzly bear. It roared in pain and attempted to slice her, but the wound was too deep and it fell to the ground, dead. Arra landed on her feet, spat on the ground, and put her sword back. She glanced over at Crepsley, who was still on the ground, and ignored him.

"Arra," he said, struggling to get up. She continued to ignore him. She picked up Streak, who following after her, and sat on a rock, crossing her legs. "Arra," he said again.  
"What do you want?" She asked, not attempting to keep her bitterness masked.  
"I wanted to thank you. For saving my life."

"Why didn't you let me fight?" She yelled.

"Well, I did not want you getting hurt…"  
"I wouldn't have gotten hurt, you idiot!" Streak whined as she yelled. She patted his head to show she was not angry with him. He yapped and licked her hand. "Why did you just push me away when I tried to help?"

"You would have slowed me down," he said, but immediately regretted it when a flash of pain streaked across Arra's face. Her eyes narrowed and she glared at him in a way that frightened him to no end.

"I would've slowed you down?" She shrieked. Streak whined loudly, and jumped out of her arms. He did not leave completely, but hid behind a tree until the yelling subsided. "So, you think I am weak because I am female?"  
"I never said that!"  
"You didn't have to! It was implied, Larten!" She got up from the rock, and turned away from him. Walking away, she yelled, "You jerk!" Crepsley grabbed her wrist to stop her from going further. She turned to face him, angry tears in her eyes. "You don't have any faith in me," she said in a soft voice which broke his heart; it was worse than when she was yelling. "I hate this. You know what, Larten? I don't want to do this anymore! If you aren't going to have any faith in me, then this is over!"  
"W-what?" His voice cracked.

"No more! Our mating agreement? Yeah, over!"

"Arra," he said softly. "You don't know what you're talking about."  
"Of course I do. This is first time I'm actually making sense here. It is over, Larten. I can't do this anymore." She wrenched her wrist out of his grasp; though, she did not need to. At her words, his grip loosened. She walked away from him, Streak galloping toward her since the yelling was over. Crepsley didn't move; he couldn't believe his ears.

"I-it's over?" He asked himself, staring at her long black hair. He crossed his arms, feeling something in his cloak. Remembering the English rose he had picked for her, he took it out, pleased to see that it was still in good condition. He smiled at the lovely color; though red would have been better, there weren't any red flowers near there. He sighed, putting it behind his back, and following her.

Crepsley found Arra walking slowly with Streak by her side, kicking rocks into tiny puddles. She picked up a glob of snow and threw it against a tree. His mouth went dry; he had a feeling she pretended either the tree or snowball was him. He approached her, clearing his throat to make his presence known.

"Go away," she said at once.  
"Arra, just hear me out. Listen, I am sorry for what I did and said. It was stupid of me to think you would have gotten hurt. You are a fighter, but I did not think of that when facing the bear. The only thing I was thinking about was your safety. And…" He took her hand in his. "I do have faith in you. You are the most incredible person I have ever met. You are able to fight so well, and I was being stupid."

"You really think that?" She asked.

"Of course I do," he replied, stroking her hand with his thumb. "I do not want our mating to end."

"Neither do I. I was stupid to break it off over this."

"No. It was all my fault." He presented the rose to her, with sheepish smile and a tint of pink creeping upon his cheeks. "I picked this a week ago, but kept it hidden because I never found the right time." She took it from his hands, and smiled back.

"Thank you, Larten," she said. He stroked her cheek with his index finger and brought his lips to hers. They shared a sweet kiss, and when they broke apart, Arra said, "I love you." Her words sent a streak of shock through his body; he had never expected those words to escape her lips, and he had no idea how to respond. Well, the most appropriate response would be to tell her he loved her back, but the thought of doing that made his heart pound. He merely smiled, and kissed her again. Arra was confused, but she did not say anything. She just let him kiss her. Streak yapped with happiness at their reconcile. However, a bark came from behind the trees. Streak yapped louder. His family was waiting for him.

"It looks like it is time we part," Crepsley said to the cub. He knelt down, allowing Streak to lick his hand. He licked Arra's hand as well. Streak yapped once more and joined his pack, who barked their thanks to Crepsley and Arra. They ran off until they were out of sight. Arra smiled and returned to Crepsley's side. His hand found hers, and they walked together as they were nearing the mountain.

"Arra?" Crepsley asked.  
"Yes?"

"I love you, too."


End file.
